ABSTRACT
In January 2006 Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing carried out a six-nation Africa tour to Cape Verde, Senegal, Mali, Liberia, Nigeria and Libya. Reflecting the importance that Africa now holds for China, it has become a foreign policy ‘tradition’ in Beijing that the first official overseas visit every year by a Chinese leader goes to Africa. It is hoped that this study has demonstrated the depth and extent to which China has been involved in Africa over the last few decades. The book began by posing a number of questions regarding China’s role in one specific region, namely Southern Africa. Of fundamental importance was the extent to which China has managed to bridge the gap between its ambition to restore its place in the international system and its relatively limited ability to project its power; and how important China’s rhetoric of anti-hegemonism has been as a device to secure and promote Beijing’s position in the developing world.
